Will My Child Be Immune If I Get The Covid Vaccine While Pregnant?

Many parents are wondering if their child will be immune if they get the Covid vaccine while pregnant. In 2021, a study presenting the first confirmed case of a newborn born with COVID-19 antibodies was presented, and the results were published in Pediatrics that same year in February.

Antibodies against COVID-19 can be passed from mother to child during pregnancy, as was previously demonstrated by research. The case study demonstrates that the COVID-19 vaccine can also protect an unborn child from the virus.

EXPANDED UPDATE: September 2022

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More research on the prevalence of COVID-19 vaccination-related antibodies in pregnant women has been conducted since that infant was born in South Florida in February 2021. Researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital reported in February 2022 that infants whose mothers were vaccinated during pregnancy had longer-lasting antibodies than those of COVID-19-infected infants whose mothers had not been vaccinated.

Those vaccinated between the twentieth and thirty-second weeks of their pregnancies were analyzed. Researchers from New York University’s Grossman School of Medicine examined the health of 36 infants whose mothers had received prenatal vaccinations in a separate study published a few months earlier. Researchers discovered that all newborns tested positive for protective antibodies.

Introduction to the Case Study

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The frontline nurse from South Florida gave birth to a healthy baby girl three weeks after receiving her first Moderna COVID-19 shot at the 36-week mark. Samples of cord blood taken from newborns both after birth and before the placenta were delivered showed the presence of COVID-19 antibodies.

The first case of a baby being born with antibodies following vaccination. As with other vaccines given during pregnancy, researchers checked the umbilical cord to see if antibodies from the mother had been transmitted to the child.

The baby’s antibodies can neutralize the COVID-19 virus (SARS-CoV-2).

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They showed that after receiving a single dose of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccination, SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies were detected in cord blood samples taken from newborns. Therefore, maternal immunization can protect against Sars-CoV-2 and reduce the risk of infection.

Vaccination against COVID-19 during pregnancy and nursing is safe for the developing fetus and the mother. Furthermore, pregnant women who contract COVID-19 are at a much greater risk of developing a life-threatening infection and other consequences. For these reasons, vaccination against COVID-19 is strongly recommended for expectant mothers.

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How much immunity do babies have, and for how long is it still up in the air? Research is needed to estimate how long people can remain protected in this way. They need to figure out the threshold for protection or how many antibodies a newborn has to have to circulate to be safe.

At Massachusetts General Hospital, researchers analyzed data from a different pilot study involving 131 women who received either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccination and were categorized as either pregnant (84), breastfeeding (31), or not pregnant (16).

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All 10 infants born during the trial had antibodies developed by the mother vaccination in their umbilical cord blood. Antibodies were found in the placenta and breast milk of all the pregnant and nursing women, just as they were in the control group.

Infant Safety.

Studies have demonstrated that antibodies to various vaccines can be transmitted from mother to child via the placenta. Vaccines that do not contain live viruses have been used for decades to protect pregnant women, their babies, or both (e.g., influenza and whooping cough).

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Immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies, the most common form, are produced by the pregnant person, cross the placenta, and circulate in the infant for several months after delivery. Immunoglobulin A (IgA) antibodies are produced in response to some immunizations and can be passed on to a nursing infant.

Although the safety of the COVID-19 vaccination has not been established in pregnant women, it is safe for non-pregnant women. It has been shown to produce protective IgG antibodies that cross the placenta and IgA antibodies that are excreted into the mother’s milk. Thankfully, studies have shown this to be true.

The Safety of the COVID-19 Vaccine During Pregnancy

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Pfizer/BioNTech, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson are the manufacturers of the first three COVID-19 vaccines available in the United States; however, they did not include pregnant women in their clinical trials.

Pfizer, however, has stated that the first phase of a massive study of its vaccine in pregnant women has begun and is scheduled to wrap up by the start of 2023. Pregnant women who receive the Moderna shot will be tracked through a company’s registry.

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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists both endorse the COVID-19 vaccine during pregnancy and nursing, and thousands of pregnant women have previously received it.

As our understanding grows, so does the amount of evidence supporting the safety and efficacy of these vaccines for use during pregnancy and breastfeeding. He cites data showing that the Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 vaccinations are safe for expectant mothers and their babies.

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Researchers observed that breastfeeding mothers passed on protective antibodies to their infants and that the vaccine-induced antibody levels of pregnant and lactating women were comparable to those of non-pregnant women.

Meaningful articles you might like: Comprehensive Information Regarding the Moderna Vaccine, What You Should Know About The Pfizer Vaccine, The Johnson & Johnson Covid Vaccine: What You Should Know